Stage Plays by Ian Hornby
Cinderella
Pantomime - variable/flexible casting - doubling possible
Synopsis
A new look starting from the traditional story but with all the pantomime traditions and some new twists to the characters. Buttons has a habit of turning into super hero Zips, Blue Peter always has one he's prepared before...
Everything from slapstick to songs to appalling jokes.
There are two Dames (the Ugly Sisters) and two principal boys (Prince Charming and Dandini).
| Character | Lines |
| Janet (or Jim) a parent/grandparent - lines can be read |
11 |
| Mark (or Eleanor) a child - lines can be read |
8 |
| Cinderella principal girl |
210 |
| Mr/Mrs Green greengrocer, m or f |
12 |
| Mr/Mrs Butcher butcher, m or f |
12 |
| Mr/Mrs Baker baker, m or f |
12 |
| Fairy Godmother any age |
68 |
| Buttons our hero |
85 |
| Anastasia ugly sister (dame) |
217 |
| Genevieve ugly sister (dame) |
177 |
| Blue Peter any age |
2 |
| Lady Bleakhart wicked stepmother |
45 |
| Elf* fool |
90 |
| Bee any age |
8 |
| Prince Charming principal boy, long of leg |
110 |
| Dandini principal boy, long of leg |
80 |
| Queen Prince Charming's mother |
4 |
| King Prince Charming's father |
2 |
| * I have a version where the part of the Elf is split into an Elf and a Gnome if wanted | |
Author's
notes
Cinderella was my first pantomime, and I played one of the sisters in its first production. My daughter played Cinders.
What can you say about pantomime? The story is a given - you can't suddenly decide that you're going to make the glass slipper fit the wicked stepmother or that Buttons is a complete cad! What you can do is dress the story around its edges, hence the appearance of the hugely popular superhero Zips. It works. Don't knock it!
